Burial vault



Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNiTso STATES PATE T OFFICE Application August 31, 1932. Serial No. 631,283

4 Claims. (01. 27-17) This invention relates to burial vaults and has particular reference to end-closing metallic vaults, the object of the invention being to provide means which are easily operable and by 5 which the door will be securely fastened to the body of the vault and the joint between the door and the vault body will be effectually sealed. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter first fully described and then more particularly defined inthe appended claims;

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a burial vault embodying the present invention,

, Fig. 2 is a side View of the end of the vault with the door applied,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

The vault body consists of a shell 1 which may have any preferred cross sectional outline and in the present instance has sides substantially at a right angle to the bottom and an arched top. On the interior of the shell, at the open end thereof, an angle bar 2 is provided, this angle bar extending around the entire opening and being preferably welded to the shell, as indicated at 3. The end of the shell is extended beyond the angle bar and is then doubled back on itself to fit over the circumferential flange of the angle bar, as clearly shown at 4 in Fig. 3. The angle bar serves as a reinforcement for the shell and. maintains the contour of the same as well as resisting partial collapse thereof.

The door 5 is a metal plate having the same marginal outline as the end of the shell and along the entire margin is formed with ahead 6 defining an internal groove in which is seated a packing '7 which is indicated as being of rubber but may be of any preferred material. If desired, some slowly hardening composition, such as asphalt, may be employed, the purpose of the packing being to seal the joint between the door and the end of the shell so that moisture cannot find its way into the interior of the vault. At intervals along the marginal bead 6, blocks 8 are provided and these blocks are preferably welded upon the bead, as will be understood. The blocks project beyond the margin of the doorand in the projecting portion each block is provided with an opening 9 therethrough having its axis parallel with the axis of the vault. At intervals corresponding to the intervals between the blocks 8, plates 10 are welded upon the bottom of the vault, as shown in Fig. 3, and from these plates extend stems 11 which are of circular cross section and. are offset from the respective plates, as shown at 12. These stems are arranged to pass through the bores or openings 9 in the respective blocks 8 and their extremities are threaded, as shown at 13, to receive nuts 14 which are turned home against the outer sides of the respective blocks 0 whereby the door will be very firmly secured in place and the packing 7 will be compressed to effectually seal the joint. 7

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple construction whereby the door of a burial vault may be very easily and quickly secured in place and the joint effectually sealed. It will also be noted that the packing and the bead in which the packing is seated will fit around the folded edge of the, shell and will, therefore, aid in maintaining the given outline of the vault. The clamping nuts act directly against the blocks on the door so that the door will be fitted accurately to the vault and inasmuch as the packingis contained in a bead which is an integral rigid part of the door, the compression of the packing will be uniform throughout the entire extent of the same.

Having thus described the invention, Iclaim:

1. In aburialvault, a shell, an angle bar secured upon the inner surface of the shell at an open end thereof and projecting'longitudinally beyond said open end, the end of the shell being 85 folded inwardly to clasp the basal flange of the angle bar, a door having a hollow continuous exterior marginal bead conforming to the folded end of the shell, packing seated in and carried by said bead to bear against the folded end of the shell, and means for securing the door to the shell.

2. In a burial vault, a shell having a projecting end portion at one end, a door having its margin pressed outwardly to form a continuous hollow exterior bead fitting over the projecting end of the shell, anchoring blocks at intervals on the exterior surface of the bead of the door, stems projecting from the shell to be engaged in said blocks and having threaded extremities, and clamping nuts mounted upon the threaded extremities of the stems to be turned home against the respective clamping blocks.

3. In a burial vault, a shell having an open end, a door having its margin pressed outwardly to form a hollow exterior marginal bead fitting against the open end of the shell, packing within the bead to bear against the end of the shell, spaced blocks secured to the exterior surface of the bead and projecting beyond the open end of the shell and having openings through their projecting portions, stems secured upon the shell and projecting therefrom through the openings in the blocks, and clamping nuts mounted on the extremities of the stems and turned home against the respective blocks.

4. In a burial vault, a shell having an open end, a door having a hollow exterior marginal bead fitting over the edge of the shell at the'open end thereof, a packing disposed within the bead to bear against theend of the shell, blocks on the 

